KANSAS CITY, Mo. — It is never a good thing when you have to send a pitcher to see noted orthopedic surgeon James Andrews, but that is where Tampa Bay Rays left-hander Matt Moore is headed.

Moore, who left Monday night’s game with soreness in his pitching elbow, was placed on the disabled list Tuesday after an MRI proved inconclusive.

“I think any time a pitcher goes on the disabled list and is going to see Dr. Andrews, you have reason to be concerned, so we’re concerned until we’re told not to be concerned,” Rays executive of vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said.

Moore, who missed more than month last season with the same injury, said it seems less severe this time. He said he has to press the area in order to feel the pain.

“I would say it’s quite a bit different,” Moore said. “Just in the mobility and how my arm feels just dangling on the side of my body is a lot different with regards to soreness. I think the place where I’m feeling the discomfort is very similar. It’s kind of a weird situation as far as how the severity of things as far as how much they’ve jumped from what I was thinking this morning.”

Moore was optimistic when he met with reporters earlier in the afternoon, but his concern grew once the travel arrangements were made for him to visit Andrews’ Pensacola facility.

“It’s frustrating even more so now,” he said.

Moore said he didn’t understand why the elbow hurts when he throws his change-up. He said it could be because he overextended himself and something inside the joint rubbed against something else to cause a bruise. Having Andrews conduct a more extensive MRI with the use of dye and physically exam the elbow should reveal any problem.

When asked about the possibility of surgery, Moore said, “I don’t think necessarily the surgery part concerns me, or the rehabilitation part. It’s the preparation that went into this season for the guys in the locker room and the organization, a lot of high hopes, a lot of expectations and things we prepared for this season that I so very much want to be a part.